Question: I have three children whose ages vary from 3 1/2 to 7 1/2, and finding crafts that they can all do is very hard. Do you have any suggestions for me? Carla W., Ceres, CA

Answer: Those ages can be difficult to find one project for all of them, but I have found a few that might be appropriate for your little ones. I found some great videos, I hope these help.

Making a Play Cord Crafts to Help Kids Learn

kids crafts learning crafts making a playcord pocket lapbook

Several mothers have wrote in asking about day care for the summer. Knowing that not all these mothers have a day job, but still need personal time and time to get all the family errands done, I went searching for information that would be helpful and hopefully insightful.  Below are some links to other websites that had good tips.

Awesome Tips for Helping Your Child Integrate With His Child Care … - Children have fears just like adults, so if you’re thinking about sending your children to a daycare center, then know… Affordable Child Care Options for Summer - Five days of the week divided among five parents or families equals only one day of commitment per parent or family. Bingo! 4. Join forces for a care share. If everyone works full-time, think about hiring nannies or babysitters jointly … The Manly Art of Baby Care - With a little help from mom and a few how-to tips….Dad will be a Pro before he knows it! The following tips will help any new Dad learn the ropes of baby care. Don’t be afraid to hold your tiny baby. Pretend you are gently cradling a …

Oh, and for any stay at home dads…there is one there for you too!

Question: My kids love playing outside, but often find themselves running out of things to do, especially during the summer. I really want to be prepared with new things to have them actively doing. What are some fun activities for kids to play outside? Mary E., Salinas, CA

Answer: Mary, I am not sure of your age, but, if you are like me and many of the other readers you probably played many different outdoor games as a child. There are even games we played indoors that can be taken outdoors. I like to get ideas from as many sources as possible, and it just so happens that Better Homes and Gardens, has come up with a list of activities like Red Rover, Red Rover, and Kick the Can and many others. Not only do they have a list, but they have info on each of the games. For those of us who don't remember all the rules or all of the words to the songs, this is a great resource! Remember that there are many things that we typically do inside that we can do outside. One of my kids favorite things to do during the summer is to play with sidewalk chalk, bubbles, kiddie pools or the hose, water balloons, playing house or store outside, having a lemonade stand and gardening. Check out Better Home & Garden's list, and feel free to share other things that you may have found!

Here is part 2 of this great Halloween resource, please feel free to Ask Anissa by comment or email. 

Whether it’s a class party, Girl Scout meeting, youth group gathering or just with friends, finding activities that will engage the entire group without long wait times can be a challenge.

Try some of these activities at your next group Halloween celebration.

Crafts

Pumpkin Painting
By using the tiny, little mini-pumpkins (gourds), newspaper and a little craft paint, kids can create their own Halloween masterpiece.

Cover the table with newspaper. Wash and dry each mini-pumpkin. Using a marker or pen, have each child draw a simple face or design on the pumpkin (or use a stencil or pumpkin painting pattern).

With small paintbrushes, the child can then paint their pumpkin design. After allowing the pumpkins to dry, a light coating of spray sealer will seal the design and keep the paint from peeling off.

Face Painting
Face Painting is always a big hit with children of all ages. And it’s not as difficult as it sounds. You don’t have to be an artist to face paint.

There are two ways to conduct a face painting activity at a youth gathering. One is to have an adult who is prepared with a few popular face painting designs to paint a unique design on each child.

The other way is to allow the children to paint each other. There is no telling what kinds of creations kids will come up with when they are given a paintbrush and face paints.

The key with Face Painting is to use the authentic face paints. Do not attempt to use craft paints as face paints. It’s not safe for use on skin.

Popular Halloween cheek art designs include pumpkins (obviously!), ghosts, candy corn, goblins, cats and witches.

Quiet Activities

Sometimes during a Halloween party with large groups, it is necessary for the children to do an activity that requires them to be seated and relatively quiet.

Some simple ideas for the children to do while the snacks are being prepared, for example, include Halloween crossword puzzles, Halloween seek-and-finds or Halloween word maker (writing as many words as you can using the letters in “Halloween” or “Jack-O-Lantern”).

Movement

One of the most fun activities that a group can participate in at a Halloween party is Freeze Dancing. An adult operates a portable CD player containing a Halloween song CD. The children dance to the music until the music stops. At that point, each child has to freeze in the position they were in when the music stopped. Anyone who moves even a little is eliminated from the next round. The last child standing wins.

Using these ideas for Group Halloween Parties, your party is sure to be a success.

You'll find lots of unique costume ideas, such as a Michael Vick Halloween costume on the Get In Costume website.

Get a free copy of my Family Guide To Halloween Safety at http://www.getincostume.com/freereport

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